I Only Have Eyes For You
by Racing Capybaras
Summary: While trying to move on, Jo gets a law breaking secret admirer just in time for Valentine's Day. Title from the song written by Dubin and Warren.
1. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

**I know I said that I was going to work on updating my other two stories more frequently, but this got in the way. The chapter title comes from the Bee Gees song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eureka. If I did, it would be on year-round instead of just during the summer.**

* * *

Jo leaned back in her chair and shook her head in disgust. It was a week before Valentine's Day, but Café Diem was already decked out in pink and white heart-shaped decorations. She wasn't surprised. Valentine's Day was one of Vincent's favorite holidays. He had practically torn down the decorations for the Super Bowl to make way for Valentine's Day. It was enough to make her want to puke.

"Wow, Vincent really outdid himself this year."

Jo looked up and smirked at Carter, who was staring at the decorations in amazement, while a slightly less amazed Henry stood nearby.

"He always manages to do that," Henry said, shaking her head.

Vincent bustled over to their table and smiled at them. "I know, isn't it amazing? And the best is yet to come."

"There's more?" Carter asked doubtfully, clearing a few stray pink ribbons away from the chair next to Jo and sitting down.

"Of course there is," Vincent said indignantly, while topping off Jo's coffee. He put a burger down in front of Carter and glared at him. "Every year I make Valentine's Day special. The decorations, the food, the flowers – I do it all. Including the party, which I hope you all will come to."

After a few seconds without any responses, Vincent continued. "It starts at eight o'clock on Valentine's Day. Wear something nice. What would you like to order, Henry?"

Henry shook his head. "Nothing for me. I'll only be here for a few minutes."

"Alrighty then," Vincent nodded, turning to go back to his kitchen. "See you at the party."

Jo snorted and took a sip of her coffee. There was no way that she was going to a Valentine's Day party. Not as long as she was single and had an ounce of dignity left. The last thing that she wanted was for the entire town to see how pathetic her personal life was.

"I take it that you're not planning on going to the party," Carter said through a mouthful of burger.

"Not while I'm still breathing."

Henry twined his fingers together and looked at Jo. "You know," he said softly, "it's been months, Jo. Maybe it's time to move on."

Jo bit her lip and fought back a hurtful response. Who was Henry to tell her to move on? Henry had altered a timeline to stop the woman he loved from dying, then refused to give up on his wife from another timeline. If anything, Henry hung on tighter instead of moving on.

But still, Henry was right. It had been months since the five travelers had accidentally altered their timeline. Jo was getting tired of having the new Zane make good use of every possible opportunity to make her life difficult. Worse than that was the feeling that she got whenever she was around him. Despite all the differences between him and her Zane, they still shared many similarities. Similarities that made her heart flutter whenever she was around him, only to be crushed a few seconds later when he started being a jerk.

After another sip of coffee, Jo smiled wryly and let her head fall into her hands. "Maybe. I guess this would be the time of year to do it."

Carter and Henry both smiled at her encouragingly, though Carter noticed that Jo had briefly reached for now-empty chain around her neck.

"That's the spirit," Henry smiled. "Which is actually why I'm here. Grace and I are renewing our vows in a few days, and we were both hoping that you two would come."

"Of course," Carter beamed up at Henry. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Jo forced a smile and tried to match Carter's enthusiasm., hoping to hide the fact that watching a happy couple was one of the last things that she wanted to do this week. "I'll be there. Just tell me when."

"Great," Henry exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "Grace and I aren't done planning, so I'll get back to you with the exact time and place later."

Carter waved goodbye and turned back to Jo, who was fingering her necklace again. "Rough day?"

Jo shrugged and twisted the chain around her finger. "Last year, Zane pretended that he wasn't getting me anything," she said quietly. "Then, on Valentine's Day, I woke up to breakfast in bed and a gigantic teddy bear holding a rose. It's just hard being around all the decorations and happy couples."

Carter reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry. Has Zane said anything to you since he got the ring back?"

"No," Jo said bitterly, dropping the necklace. "I wouldn't explain why I had it, so he bugged me about it for weeks. Once he realized that I wasn't going to tell him anything, he started avoiding me by keeping his pranks at a minimum."

"Hmmm," Carter replied thoughtfully, taking another bite of his burger. "Maybe that means that it's time for you two to talk again."

Jo shook her head. "Or maybe Henry's right, and it's time to move on."

She stood up and reached back down for her coffee. "I'll just have to make it through this hellish week the best I can. See you later."

As she turned and left, Jo missed the last words that Carter said to her: "You never know. The guy might surprise you."

* * *

Jo set her things down in her office and sighed. Fargo had decorated the rotunda with small floating hearts in honor of Valentine's Day. With those as a constant reminder, it was going to be even harder to make it through the week.

She sat down at her desk and logged into her computer. Instead of the normal start up screen, a message popped up on her monitor: _Look in the drawer._

Jo blinked and squinted at her computer. The message was still there. She debated for a minute about whether or not it was wise to follow instructions from an anonymous computer message, then opened the drawer.

Inside was a large, heart-shaped box o f chocolates. Attached to it was a small card that read, "_Enjoy them._"

Jo gingerly took the top off and looked at the chocolates. All of her favorite flavors were there. As much as she wanted one, her years of military training and common sense told her not to eat something that a stranger left her. Setting the box back down sadly, Jo finished reading the card. "_You've had a rough time lately_," it read. "_Don't think that I haven't noticed. Sincerely, Your Not-So-Secret Admirer_."

Jo frowned stared at the card. Her Not-So-Secret Admirer? Who could that possibly be?

* * *

**So the plan is to update with one chapter everyday, ending on Valentine's Day. I've already written a few of the chapters, so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing. The chapter titles are all from love songs...I may have spent a little bit too long browsing through the Valentine's Day songs on sale on iTunes.**


	2. How Can I Live Without You

**Here's chapter two. Keep in mind that I edited this after I got my eyes dropped, and literally could not read anything within five feet of me. Let's just say that positioning my computer was interesting.**

**The chapter title comes from the LeAnn Rimes song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eureka or any of the songs.**

* * *

The next morning, Jo walked into the Sheriff's Office and frowned. Carter had texted her, saying that there was a minor emergency he need her help with.

She looked around the office again. She couldn't see anyone, but she could feel that someone was there.

"Boo!"

Jo whirled around and saw a small blond head for a split second before it crashed into her.

Resisting her instincts to throw her assailant across the room, Jo dropped her bag and accepted the hug. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

Zoe Carter smiled up at her and let go. "I flew out for a few days to visit."

"So you sent me a 911 text to get me to meet you here?"

Zoe shrugged sheepishly. "Last time I was in town I got caught up in other stuff and didn't get to see you much. I wanted to make sure that we'd be able to hang out this time. Now c'mon. Let's go get breakfast."

* * *

Jo grinned and laughed at Zoe's story. She had forgotten how close they used to be, and how much she missed that. Though, Jo supposed that it was partially her fault for avoiding Zoe after she found out about the younger woman's crush on Zane.

"So, what's new with your love life?"

Jo snapped back to attention. She was fine with listening to Zoe's stories about college boys, but she had little to contribute on her end.

"Nothing," Jo said, pushing her fork around her plate. Across the room she saw Zane, eating breakfast while typing furiously with his face scrunched up in frustration. She forced herself to keep a straight face. Her Zane had always done the same thing. Seeing the other Zane act like hers still hurt, even after all the months that had passed.

"Really?" Zoe asked suspiciously. "Last summer it seemed like there was something going on that you weren't telling me about. Who is he?"

Jo put her fork down and rolled her eyes. "It's no one. Really."

"Ha! So there is something going on!"

Jo swore silently. Damn it. Now Zoe was going to needle her until she found out.

"So…?" Zoe prompted.

Jo bit her lip. She couldn't tell Zoe about Zane, but she could tell her about her secret admirer. "Last night when I got back to my office, I found a heart-shaped box of chocolates," she admitted. "They were my favorite kind."

Zoe's eyes widened. "From who?"

Jo shrugged. "Whoever it was left a card," she said, pulling the note out of her bag. "Here, you can read it if you want to."

"Wow," Zoe exclaimed, snatching the piece of paper out of Jo's hands and reading it eagerly. "Looks like you've got a secret admirer."

"No, I don't," Jo protested. "It's just some idiot at GD pulling a prank to get back at me for being a hardass."

"A prank-pulling idiot who also knows what kind of chocolate you like?" Zoe asked doubtfully. "I don't think that's very likely. You need to find out who he is."

"Nope," Jo shook her head, "I'm not giving them the satisfaction of playing into their trick."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Jo. Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know who has been watching you enough to know about your secret chocolate obsession?"

"Well, whoever it was didn't know me that well if they really thought I'd eat food left for me by a stranger," Jo pointed out. "That's just common sense."

"Whatever you say," Zoe grinned.

Jo rolled her eyes. "So how's your love life?" She paused for a second, wondering whether or not she really wanted to hear the answer. Last summer Zoe and Zane had looked pretty cozy.

"Eh, nothing much," Zoe shrugged, sipping her smoothie. "Lucas and I have been talking more, but we're taking things slowly, just seeing where it takes us. I don't know whether we'll get back together again."

"What about you and Zane?" Jo asked. She tried to calm her heartbeat and arranged her features into a poker face, preparing to be disappointed and hurt. As if he knew that she was thinking about him, Zane glanced across the room and met her gaze for a brief moment before getting up and leaving.

"Oh that?" Zoe laughed. "That was just a fling. Zane's fun and smart, and really, really hot. It was fun while it lasted, but it was just a crush. It was fun seeing my Dad so freaked out though."

Jo let out the breath she had been holding. As much as she wanted Zoe to be happy, she didn't want her to be happy with Zane. "Oh. That's good, I guess."

"Yeah," Zoe nodded, sipping her drink. "You know, he's actually a really great guy. You should get to know him better."

Jo's phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked the message and rolled her eyes. "Right. He's an amazing guy. An amazing guy who let twenty lab rats loose this morning. They're all over GD."

Zoe shrugged. "So what? He's spirited."

"He's trouble," Jo said, gathering her things and standing up. "I've got to go take care of this."

"See you later," Zoe responded. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text. "Dinner later?"

"Yeah, sure," Jo called over her shoulder. Judging by the speed of her fingers, Zoe was still going to have a better Valentine's Day than Jo was, even without a boyfriend. "See you."

* * *

After doubling back to the Sheriff's Office to get the GD authorization card that had fallen out of her bag, Jo jogged out to her car. As she unlocked the door and set her coffee in the cup holder, her arm brushed against something. Looking down, Jo saw a bouquet of roses in a vase sitting in the driver's seat.

Hands shaking, Jo reached for the card. "_Since I you didn't get to enjoy the chocolate_. _Love, Your Not-So-Secret-Admirer_."

Jo sank to the ground, clutching the card. Zoe was right. She had to find out who this was. If not because she was curious, then because her secret admirer had broken into both her office and her car in less than twenty-four hours.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews from the first chapter. Keep them coming! If there's something that you want to see including, message me and I'll see if I can work it in.**


	3. Can't Fight This Feeling

**Thanks to those of you who caught my mistake yesterday...whoops. Next time I'll wait until I can see again to update a story.**

**Now, on to another chapter. There isn't really a hint in this one (like there was in chapter two,) but it might help explain something else later on. Title from the REO Speedwagon song.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Eureka, or any of the music. Darn.**

* * *

"Good morning, Jo," Fargo said cheerfully, smiling at her in the lobby.

"Morning," Jo replied crossly. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. After spending the day at GD trying to figure out who could break into both her office and her car, she had come up with nothing. When she went home she had double-checked all of her security to make sure that her admirer wouldn't be able to get into her house.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Fargo frowned.

"I guess so," Jo shrugged. She wasn't in the mood to talk about her love life with Fargo. God help her if she ever was.

Jo looked up and noticed that the colors in the rotunda were different. Instead of the usual blue and green plasma, it was red, pink, and white. Combined with the floating hearts and Fargo's pink and white striped tie, it was nearly enough to make her sick.

Noticing that Fargo seemed to be admiring it, Jo made herself ask, "Why the sudden change in decorations? GD isn't exactly Valentine's Day central."

Fargo grinned at her. "Not usually. But I made it special this year. Claudia's coming to visit from the Warehouse."

"That's great," Jo replied. Everyone could tell how much Fargo liked Claudia, and it was nice to know that he was getting over Julia. Though it was slightly disturbing to know that her social life was worse than Fargo's.

"I know, isn't it?" Fargo beamed. "I want everything to be perfect. Like last time, except without all the chaos."

"Yeah," Jo sighed. "I never thought that I'd get a bullet in my chest without actually getting shot."

"Only in Eureka," Fargo chuckled. "By the way, the postal unit said that they got a package for you this morning."

"What?" Jo asked sharply. "Where is it?"

"I told Larry to hold it for you up here," Fargo answered, barely managing to get the words out before Jo pushed passed him and raced to Larry's desk.

"Were you waiting for something?" He asked, jogging behind her.

"No," Jo replied. She slammed her hands down on Larry's desk. "Where is it?"

Larry jumped, looking slightly guilty, then glared at her. "It's right here."

Jo grabbed the package and ripped it open. Inside were two large bottles of her favorite gun cleaner. Laying next to them was a state-of-the-art cleaning kit.

She quickly searched through the rest of the box and frowned. "Was there a note attached to this?"

"Yeah," Larry said, handing it to her. "It came off when I tried to ope-I mean move it from postal."

Jo rolled her eyes. Of course Larry had tried to open her mail. She unfolded the card and read it quietly outloud. Whispering, she read, "_I thought you might want a present with a practical application, since Valentine's Day seems to be getting you down. Have fun at the shooting range –Your-Not-So-Secret-Admirer._"

"Oooh, what does it say?" Larry asked, peering over Jo's shoulder to read the note.

Jo closed the note and snatched the box away from Larry. "Nothing. Now get back to work."

Fargo ignored Larry's pouts and followed Jo as she stormed off toward her office. "Who's it from?"

"No one."

"Then why wouldn't you let Larry see it?" He asked.

"Because he's a gossipy pig," Jo replied agrily.

As they reached her office, Fargo lowered his voice and tried again. "Really, Jo. Who's it from?"

Jo bit her lip. As much as she didn't want to tell Fargo about her secret admirer, he knew a lot about what went on in GD. He might know who was sending her the gifts.

She pulled him into her office and shut the door. "For the last few days, I've been getting…presents."

Fargo sat down across from her and squinted. "Presents?"

Jo sighed and leaned back in her desk chair. "Chocolates and roses. Now this. Whoever it is always leaves a note signed, 'You-Not-So-Secret-Admirer.'"

She watched as the expression on Fargo's face changed from confusion and curiosity to amusement. "What?"

"Nothing," he grinned, failing to suppress a laugh. "It's just that you have a secret admirer."

"It's not funny," she snapped. "So far they've broken into my office, my car, and the GD postal section."

"Hmm. That is kind of unsettling," Fargo conceded.

Jo nodded. That was what she wanted from Fargo. Information about whoever this was.

"Maybe they work in Postal," he suggested. "Or maybe whoever it was didn't mail the package at all. Liquids would have set off some alarms when they went through the security system, but the gun cleaner didn't."

"That makes sense," Jo nodded. "But that still only narrows it down to someone who works at GD and would be willing to brave the depths of Postal to plant a package."

"Well…" Fargo began.

"Well, what?"

Fargo fiddled with his watch. "Well, you know, that sounds kind of like something that Zane would do."

Jo shook her head. Zane had been her first guess two days ago. But after seeing his utter indifference to her at work and around town, she was sure that it had just been wishful thinking. "Maybe the old Zane would do something like that, but not this one."

"He likes pranks, and he likes to piss you off," Fargo pointed out. "That sounds a lot like this Zane to me."

"No," Jo repeated. "He's a selfish jerk who doesn't have the attention span to plan something this elaborate. I'm sure plenty of people at GD can pick a lock and hack a computer."

Fargo shrugged and stood up. "In that case, your guess is as good as mine. I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious around GD. I have to get back to the rotunda to meet Claudia."

He brushed his jacket off nervously. "Do I look okay?"

"You look great," Jo grinned. Fargo in love was kind of cute. "Now go. Tell her I said hello."

As the doors slid shut behind Fargo, Jo sighed and pulled out her sidearm and the package. As long as she was trying to figure out who her admirer was, she might as well use the gun cleaner.

* * *

**Thanks for all the great reviews, especially from those of you who realized my mistake and reviewed anyway. Keep them coming!**


	4. Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing

**I realized that I missed a day, so here's an extra long chapter with a little Jo/Zane interaction. Title from the song by Marvin Gaye.**

* * *

Jo tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear looked around. Henry and Grace were due to start their vows in five minutes, and most of their guests were already seated. The remaining vacant seats were filling rapidly.

"Lupo!"

Jo swiveled back around and came to face Claudia, who was grinning down at her.

"Hi, Jo," Fargo added from beside Claudia. He slipped into the seat next to Jo and awkwardly attempted to put his arm around Claudia's shoulders.

Claudia grinned at Jo again. "You know, this is actually a nice little town when you're not afraid of having your head blown off by a landmine," she said. She moved her shoulder and pulled Fargo's arm tighter around her. "Not to mention that Dougie here is a sweetheart."

Jo glanced at Fargo, who's smile was so wide that it looked like it might break his face. She smiled back and turned to face the front as soft music began playing.

As Claudia turned to focus on the beginning of the ceremony, Fargo leaned over to Jo and whispered, "Did you figure out who he is?"

"Who who is?" A voice asked from behind them.

Jo groaned internally. Zane. Of course he was eavesdropping.

Fargo pulled away from Jo and shook his head. "Nothing."

Zane leaned further forward so that he could whisper to Jo and Fargo more comfortably. "It sure sounds like something. Or, rather, someone."

"Well, it's nothing, and no one," Fargo replied, fidgeting in his seat.

Jo could tell that Zane didn't believe him. Fargo wasn't the most convincing liar, especially when the look on his face resembled the appearance of someone who needed to find a bathroom very badly.

Zane glanced up to the front, where Reverend Harper had begun speaking. He lowered his voice and continued. "It sounds like you two are looking for someone to me."

"Well, we're not," Jo snapped just a bit too loudly. Several people turned around to look at them.

"Whatever you say, JoJo," Zane murmured into her ear.

Jo flipped her hair over her shoulder and forced herself to focus on the ceremony, despite the lingering feeling of Zane's hot breath on her skin. She tried to push that thought aside and listened to Henry and Grace read the vows that they had written for each other. Jo smiled and clapped with everyone else, trying to forget that Zane was sitting behind her, his gaze burning into the back of her neck.

* * *

"That was nice, wasn't it?" Zoe asked, hooking her arm through Jo's.

"It was," Jo agreed. They had just gotten back from Henry and Grace's renewal ceremony and were walking to the reception at Café Diem.

"Seeing a couple like them makes you wonder about the possibilities of marriage. I mean, they've been together forever and still seem crazy about each other. I don't think I've ever even seen them fight."

"Mhmm," Jo responded, steering Zoe toward a free table. Marriage was far from her favorite thing to talk about since Founder's Day. "It's like they just met."

Zoe sat down and scooted her chair closer to Jo. "So did you find out who your mystery man is yet?"

"Shh, not so loud," Jo scolded, glancing over her shoulder at the crowd of people congratulating Henry and Grace. "And no."

"Have you even tried to figure out who he is?"

"Of course I have," Jo replied. "He broke into my office, my car, and GD's postal section. This guy is looking at jail time when I find him."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Jo. Are you really planning to lock up your secret admirer? Actually, don't answer that. I don't think I want to know."

Jo shrugged. "The law is the law. It applies to everyone."

"So the cops keep telling me," Claudia said, sitting down next to Jo. She extended her hand across the table to Zoe. "Hi, I'm Claudia."

Zoe nodded and shook her hand. "I'm Zoe. Are you Fargo's Claudia?"

Claudia grinned at Zoe. "Yep. Which makes you the Sheriff's daughter?"

Zoe grimaced. "That would be me."

Claudia set her elbows down on the table and tilted her head toward Jo. "So, I hear you have a secret admirer."

"Fargo told you?" Jo asked, rolling her eyes. She should never have told Fargo. Gossip spread quickly in Eureka, so telling one person something could create a domino effect.

"Kind of," Claudia admitted. "He mentioned something it by mistake, then I heard you two talking during the ceremony and pieced the rest of it together for myself."

Zoe grinned, glad to have someone else to share the secret with. "So, what do you think of whoever he is?"

"I think it's Zane."

"What?" Jo spluttered.

"Why?" Zoe asked more calmly, glaring at Jo.

Claudia shrugged. "I saw you two whispering earlier. He looked like he wanted to jump you…and to be honest, you looked like you wouldn't have minded."

"Well, I would have," Jo snapped.

"Whatever you say," Claudia shrugged. "I just call them like I see them."

Zoe turned to Jo with a serious look on her face. "She might be right. Breaking and entering is one of Zane's strong suits, and he could definitely get into the postal section and plant a package."

"On the other hand, he's been talking to that blonde in the corner for at least twenty minutes," Claudia pointed out, nodding to the far corner of the Café.

Jo turned to look. Claudia was right. Zane was sitting in the corner talking to a blonde woman animatedly. They were sitting close to each other and seemed to be studying something on their table. Every now and then, one of them would start laughing or gently slap the other on the shoulder.

Jo turned back around and blinked rapidly. As much as she disliked this Zane, she had still secretly wanted her admirer to be him. She shook her head and cleared her throat before talking, making sure that her voice wouldn't crack. "Right. So it's obviously not him."

"Are you sure?" Zoe asked, a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Eh, they look pretty cozy over there," Claudia added. She stood up and smiled apologetically at Jo. "I should go find Fargo. Good luck with finding your guy."

Zoe frowned as Claudia walked away. "That was anticlimactic. I thought that we were finally getting somewhere with this."

"With what?" Carter asked, sitting down next to Zoe.

"With nothing," Jo said firmly. She wasn't letting this spread to anybody else. Luckily, she was a much better liar than Fargo.

Whether or not Carter believed her, he knew from working and living with Jo that whenever she used that tone it was time to move on to a new subject. "I've got some mail for you."

"Thanks," Jo said, leaning across the table and taking the envelopes from Carter. "I was wondering why I wasn't getting much mail at my new house."

Carter leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I think SARAH's rerouting your mail because she's upset that you moved out. You know how she gets when she's lonely."

Jo nodded and flipped through her mail as Carter and Zoe fell into conversation about SARAH's automated emotions. There were a few bills, some junk mail, and a bank statement. Jo pulled out one of the heavier envelopes. It was from _Military Ma'am_ magazine.

Jo opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. It read,

"_Dear Ms. Lupo,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you are now a member of Military Ma'am's Five Star Subscriber Program. As a member, you will receive issues of the magazine monthly for the rest of your life. In addition to this, we will also send you special editions that include, extra tips on training, the information about the latest weapons, and much more. We thank you for your donation and hope that you enjoy the benefits of the Five Star Subscriber Program_."

Jo's eyes narrowed. Was this a scam? She had heard about the program, but it was notoriously hard to get into without donating hundreds of dollars to the magazine.

She frowned and searched through the rest of the envelope and pulled out a familiar-looking card. "_I thought that you might like this. The first issue should arrive later today- Your Not-So-Secret Admirer_."

Jo slid the card back into the envelope and gathered her mail. She needed to get home and work on figuring out who this person was. Even if she couldn't, at least she would have new reading material to pass the time.

* * *

**Thanks for all the great reviews. They always make my day.**


	5. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

**We're getting closer until the end here. There should be two more chapters after this. The chapter title comes from the Solomon Burke song. **

* * *

"I think I'm in love," Vincent beamed, fanning himself dramatically.

Jo sipped her coffee and did her best to ignore him. She wasn't in the mood to hear about happy couples.

Carter grinned back at Vincent from the stool next to Jo. "With who?"

"She's amazing," Vincent gushed. "She's gorgeous, efficient, and sleek. She heats up to four hundred fifty degrees in just two minutes!"

"Wait, what?" Jo asked, putting her coffee down.

"…She can even handle four batches of cupcakes at a time," Vincent said dreamily. "Together, we're going to have the perfect Valentine's Day."

Carter arched an eyebrow. "Lemme get this straight. Are we talking about an oven?"

"Not just any oven," Vincent said indignantly. "She's a GD Deluxe Convection Oven 500 - but I call her Connie for short."

"Well, I'm sure that you two will be very happy together," Carter grinned.

"Thank you. I'm not sure how I used to get through the Valentine's Day rush without her," Vincent said, topping off Carter's coffee. "By the way, Jo, I have a package for you."

Jo looked up wearily. She was no closer to finding her admirer, and the surprise presents were beginning to get tiring. "Where is it?"

Vincent lifted a gift bag covered in pink hearts onto the counter. "Here you go."

Jo stared at the package for a few moments, then lifted it off the counter and placed it under her stool.

Vincent frowned at her. "Don't you want to see what's in it?"

"Not really," Jo answered truthfully. She had been feeling down ever since she saw Zane flirting with the blonde yesterday, and wasn't in the mood to try to decipher another cryptic card. Jo also had the feeling that if she opened it in front of Vincent, the entire town would know she had a secret admirer in a matter of hours.

"You should open it," Carter encouraged her.

Jo shook her head. "No," she said, standing up and grabbing her coffee. "I'm done with Valentine's Day." She turned and walked out of Café Diem, leaving the bag behind her.

* * *

"I thought I would find you here," Carter said from the doorway.

Jo refused to turn around. She was sitting on a bench at the shooting range, trying to forget about Valentine's Day. She had tried to erase her memory through target shooting, but after two hours she had run out of bullets.

Carter sat down on the bench beside her. "I know about your secret admirer."

Jo rotated her gun in her hands and shook her head. "Zoe?"

"Yep," Carter said, leaning back against the wall. He gently placed the gift bag on the floor beside the bench.

Jo let her head rest against the wall and relaxed her grip on her gun. "I hate Valentine's Day. I just want it to be over."

"I know," Carter replied sympathetically, squeezing her shoulder. "But it's only two more days."

Jo sighed and tilted her head to face him. "Two more days of break-ins and random gifts. Great."

"Think of it as a challenge," Carter suggested. "You have two more days to figure out who this guy is, then it's over."

"I don't think I even want to know," Jo said quietly. After two hours of target practice, she had come to the conclusion that she wasn't over Zane. Deep down, she still wanted her secret admirer to be him, and was afraid of finding out that it wasn't.

Carter sat up straight with a serious look on his face. "Don't think about who it is. Just try to enjoy the attention and the presents."

"Okay," Jo nodded slowly. She didn't see how else she was going to make it through the next two days. "Okay. I'll try that."

Carter handed her the present and smiled. "Atta girl."

Hands shaking, Jo reached into the bag and pulled out small metal tag with the word "Raja" engraved on it . She pulled the card out of the bag. "It just says, _'You'll be needing this_,'" Jo said to Carter. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Carter shrugged. "I guess you'll find out soon," he said. Then, seeing the look on Jo's face, he quickly added, "Remember, it's only two more days."

"I guess so," Jo said wearily, putting the tag and card back into the bag. She gathered her things and prepared to leave. "See you tomorrow, Carter."

"Bye," Carter replied, standing up. "And try to relax Jo. Everything will be fine."

Jo shrugged in response and walked made her way out of the building to her car. As far as she was concerned, a lot could get worse in two days.

* * *

Jo stepped into her house and shut the door behind her. After spending another long day dealing with her secret admirer, she just wanted to drink a warm cup of tea and fall into a deep, restful sleep.

She walked into her kitchen to make the tea and tripped over something solid.

"Ow!" Jo murmured, rubbing her shin. She stood up carefully and flipped the light switch on. "What in the…"

Jo looked down. She had tripped over a large tub of cat litter. Next to the tub sat a bag of cat food and a few cat toys.

She squatted down and picked up an envelope from under the bag of cat food. Jo opened it and began to read it out loud to herself. "_I told you you'd need it._"

Before she could continue, something warm and solid rubbed against her side. Jo moved her arm and came face to face with a orange and white tiger patterned kitten. She scratched the side of its face and couldn't resist smiling when the kitten began to purr.

Jo sat down and leaned against the wall, petting the kitten. She reached for the card and continued reading. "_I thought a stuffed one would be too cliché. You deserve more than that. You deserve the cat that you always wanted – Raja from Aladdin_. _After all, everybody needs someone to love. I bet you already love Raja. I love you – Your Not-So-Secret-Admirer_."

Jo felt something wet on her face and realized that she was crying. Growing up, _Aladdin_ had been her favorite Disney movie. She had begged her parents for a cat just like Jasmine's Raja until they finally relented and agreed that she could have one. The week before she was supposed to adopt the cat, her mother had died. After that, her father had refused to let her get a cat for years. By the time Jo was old enough to adopt one for herself, she was in the army and constantly on the move. Even after settling down in Eureka, she had never gotten around to adopting her long-awaited tiger kitten.

Smiling softly, Jo reached into the gift bag from Café Diem and retrieved the tag. She hooked it onto Raja's collar and continued stroking the kitten.

Her warm cup of tea and soft bed long forgotten, Jo moved to the couch and curled up with Raja. As she drifted off to sleep, she decided that maybe she shouldn't give up on her secret admirer just yet.

* * *

**As always, thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!**


	6. I've Been Loving You Too Long

**It's the last day before Valentine's Day, which means there's only one more day until the identity of Jo's secret admirer is revealed. I've really enjoyed reading your guesses about who it is so far.**

**CopperMinted- You get your taco in this chapter.**

**ForJoFan- I wish I could respond to your reviews. They're amazing. Thank you so much.**

**The chapter title comes from the Otis Redding song.**

* * *

"Five more minutes, and that's it," Jo said firmly. After getting a good night's sleep for the first time since she had begun receiving presents from her secret admirer, she woken up in a good mood. Such a good mood that she had let Zoe convince her to spend their morning shopping together.

"Oh c'mon, Jo," Zoe pleaded. She pulled a skirt off a nearby rack and held it up to Jo. "This would look great on you. Why don't you try it on?"

"I have to get home a feed Raja," Jo lied. Reluctant to leave a kitten alone in a new place, she had locked him in her spare room with full bowls of food and water, a litter box, and cat toys. "And he might get lonely. Kittens are pretty sensitive to stuff like that."

Zoe rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, sure. You promised me a morning of fun shopping without complaints. Besides, I'm sure whoever gave you the kitten would be more than willing to break into your house again to feed it, especially since he kept it alive and healthy at his place until he gave it to you."

"What?" Jo asked. Something about what Zoe had just said didn't make sense. How would Zoe know about where her secret admirer had taken care of the cat?

"Nothing," Zoe said hastily, replacing the skirt on the rack. "I mean, there aren't any animal shelters in Eureka, so he must have had it at his house for a little while."

Jo's eyebrows knit together. It was true that Eureka didn't have any animal shelters – only approved pets were allowed into the town because of the risk of interfering with the lab animals at GD. Still, she felt something nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that Zoe's explanation wasn't entirely truthful.

"Look at this," Zoe gasped.

Jo turned around and followed Zoe's gaze to a gorgeous purple dress hanging from the wall at the other end of the store. Zoe quickly made her way over to it and pulled it down. "You have to try it on."

Jo, still slightly stunned by the dress, let Zoe push her into a dressing room. She quickly undressed and slipped into the dress. The top was fitted but the bottom part hung more loosely from her body, falling just above her knees.

She unlocked the door and walked back into the main part of the store to where Zoe was waiting next to the three-way mirror.

Zoe gasped clamped her hands together. "You look amazing."

Jo smiled at Zoe through the mirror and spun around, enjoying the way the skirt swung out around her. "I feel amazing," she admitted. It had been a long time since she had really felt beautiful. Thinking back, it had actually been before Founder's Day, when Zane had given her a random compliment that had made her day.

Zoe smiled as she watched Jo's face light up. "You're buying this."

"I am?" Jo repeated in a daze, twirling around in the mirror. She stopped abruptly and turned to face Zoe. "Wait a minute. I haven't even looked at the price tag yet. I'm kind of afraid to see how much a dress like this costs."

"Don't worry about it. It'll be my treat," Zoe said.

"Are you sure?" Jo asked. She was pretty sure that Zoe fell under the category of "broke college student."

"I'm absolutely sure," Zoe insisted, waving Jo back into the fitting room. "You deserve something that makes you feel this amazing."

"Okay," Jo replied. She stepped back into the dressing room and quickly undressed and handed the dress over the door to Zoe. She quickly shimmied back into her own clothes and ran a brush through her hair.

As Jo emerged from the dressing room, her phone began to ring. She glanced at the number and realized that it was from GD. Frowning, she motioned to Zoe that she would be outside and stepped out of the store.

"Lupo."

"_Sorry to bother you Ms. Lupo, but we never received your lunch request_."

Jo frowned, confused. "What lunch request?"

"_Your meal for your spa day_," the voice on the phone explained. "_Our specials today lentil salad and cashew salad_."

Jo smiled. She desperately needed a relaxing spa day. It looked like her secret admirer had come up with another perfect present. She wasn't in the mood for healthy spa food though. "Erm, I think I'll pass on that."

"_Alright. We'll see you and your guest in about an hour_."

Zoe emerged from the store carrying Jo's new dress in a garment bag. "Who was that?"

Jo unlocked her car and helped Zoe arrange the bag in the back seat. "Confirmation for our spa day at GD. Let's go get lunch first. I'm in the mood for tacos."

* * *

An hour later, Jo sat in the spa's luxurious robe and grinned at Zoe. "This is great. I wish that we had actually gotten to do this last summer."

"I know. The whole being turned into a fossil thing kind of ruined it though," Zoe replied.

"Sorry for the wait," the spa attendant announced, rushing into the room. "It took longer than expected to prepare for your treatments."

"That's alrig-" Jo began, looking up. She froze and felt her blood run cold. She recognized the spa attendant. It was the same blonde that she had seen Zane with at Café Diem after Henry and Grace renewed their vows.

"I just have to get one last thing out of the back and then we can get started," the woman continued. She smiled apologetically at Jo's expression and slipped into the back again.

Noticing that Jo's entire body had tensed, Zoe reached over and shook her arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jo replied quickly. "I just think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Do you want to do something else today?"

"No," Zoe said firmly. "We're months overdue for this. Besides, you look like you could use a day spent relaxing."

Jo's phone buzzed from her bag. She quickly retrieved it and opened a new text message from a blocked number. "_It's not what you think it is. Just try to enjoy your spa day. Love, Your Not-So-Secret Admirer_."

Jo bit her lip and reread the message. How could he know what she was thinking?

"What does it say?" Zoe asked.

"Okay, we're ready to start know," the attendant said, reappearing from the back.

Jo quickly shut her phone and tossed it back into her bag. As uncomfortable as she was with this, maybe it was good to be pushed outside of her comfort zone. And after last night's present, she felt like she could trust her admirer with this decision. "Let's get started."

Zoe beamed at Jo and followed her into the treatment room. With her back turned to Zoe and the attendant, Jo missed the triumphant smiles that they exchanged.

* * *

**I dropped some pretty heavy hints in this chapter. Tell me what you think is going on in a review!**


	7. Save the Last Dance for Me

**Here's the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I've had a blast writing this and reading the reviews.**

**Title from the song by the Drifters.**

* * *

Jo woke up to a loud humming in her ear. She rolled over to find Raja happily purring next to her. She reached over and stroked side, smiling when he rolled onto his back and yawned.

Jo sighed and sat up. It was Valentine's Day. She had been dreading this day all week, but after a relaxing day at the spa, she felt like she could handle it. Petting Raja one last time, Jo slid out of bed and headed to the shower. She just had to get through today, and then it would all be over.

* * *

"Here, have a cupcake," Vincent said to Jo. "You look like you could use it."

"Thanks," Jo sighed, plucking one of the heart-shaped cupcakes off the tray. Her newfound Valentine's Day optimism had quickly transformed into the strong urge to shoot something as soon as she got to work. Fargo had modified the holographic Christmas carolers to sing love songs whenever anyone walked entered a room. She had fled to Café Diem hoping to escape the nonstop singing, only to find that Vincent had them too.

If anything, Café Diem was even worse than GD. In addition to the holograms, Vincent had upped his decorations to include cherubim hanging from streamers and roses on all the tables. Glowing hearts floated all over the room. The combined effect made Jo feel nearly as sick as it had a week ago.

Jo's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the message. "_I hope you're up for some dancing tonight. See you at Vincent's party. Love, Your Not-So-Secret-Admirer_."

She scrolled back up and had to fight the urge to throw her phone at the nearest cupid when she realized that it was sent from another blocked number. "I hate Valentine's Day," she spat.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

Jo rolled her eyes and spun her stool around to glare at Carter, who was grinning down at her.

"What?" He protested, sitting down next to her. "I thought you'd be a little…less highly strung after your spa day with Zoe. "

"Well, I'm not," Jo snapped.

"Okay," Carter replied. He put an elbow down on the bar and turned to face Jo. "What happened? I thought you were doing better."

Jo glanced down at her still-intact phone and then back up at Carter. "I was. When I woke up this morning I was actually okay with today. But then I went to work and the…festiveness got to me. Being here isn't much better."

Carter looked around and realized that there were so many decoration in the Café that when he squinted, the entire room became a pink haze. "That's understandable. It is a little over-the-top."

"Are you two talking about my decorations?" Vincent asked, beaming at both of them. "Aren't the carolers a great touch? I'm so glad Fargo agreed to lend them out for the day."

"Yeah, it's great," Carter replied. "You did say that the best was yet to come."

"Oh, but it still is," Vincent said with a twinkle in his eyes. "I have more decorating to do before the party tonight. I just don't know how I'm going to pull it off if I can't get my mini confetti blasters to work, though."

"That would be a shame," Carter said, trying to look sad.

"I'm sure I'll have them fixed by then," Vincent replied reassuringly. "What can I get for you, Sheriff?"

"I'll have two coffees, a burger, and a Caesar salad," Carter said.

"Coming right up," Vincent said happily.

Jo cocked her head to one side and turned to face Carter. "Who're you eating with?"

"Allison," Carter replied. "Her sitter is busy tonight, so we're having a Valentine's Day lunch instead of dinner. We might still stop by the party though for a little while though. Just for long enough to make Vincent happy."

"Have fun," Jo said bitterly.

Carter frowned at her. "Do you want to tell me why you look like you want to punch something every time someone mentions the party?"

"Not really," Jo sighed. She bit her lip and sighed again. "He just invited me to the party."

"Isn't that good news?"

"I don't know," Jo said, resting her head in her palms. "I really don't. This week has been stressful and weird, and I really think that avoiding the party is for the best."

"Don't you want to meet him?" Carter asked, puzzled.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," Jo said truthfully, twisting her fingers together. "I just want to go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and not have to think about any of this until next year."

"You should go," Carter said firmly.

"Why? So I can watch all the happy couples and eat more heart-shaped food?" Jo asked disgustedly.

Carter reached over and turned her shoulders so that she was facing him again. He reached over and took both of her hands. "You should go," he repeated.

Jo's eyebrows knit together in confusion. This was very unlike Carter. "Why?" She whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" Carter asked in a serious tone.

Jo nodded yes.

"Then trust me with this. Go."

"Okay," Jo mumbled softly. "I'll go."

"Good," Carter replied, squeezing her hands and releasing her. "You'll see; it'll be worth it."

* * *

Six hours later, Jo stood nervously outside Café Diem. After she had left the Café in the afternoon, Zoe had showed up at her house to make sure that she was still going. At Zoe's insistence, Jo was wearing her new dress and had her hair down instead of in her usual ponytail.

Jo took a step closer and peered inside. Vincent's party was in full swing. Everyone was laughing and dancing, and there was even more heart-shaped food than she thought was possible. Judging from the state of the floors, Jo could tell that Vincent had gotten his confetti cannons to work again.

She took a step back. She wasn't ready to go in yet. She had already paced up and down the street in indecisiveness, and she was beginning to get cold. Jo backtracked to her car and slid into the driver's seat.

"Hi."

Jo jumped and nearly hit her head on the roof of the car. She turned to the direction of the voice and sighed. "Zane. What the hell are you doing in my car?"

Zane shrugged. "Well, it didn't look like you were going to come meet me inside, so I came to you."

Jo blinked. Had she heard him correctly? "You were waiting for me? So you're my secret admirer?" She held her breath and hoped that he wouldn't laugh at her the way he had on Founder's Day.

"I am."

Jo squinted at him in disbelief. She had to be sure. "But what about the blonde who works at the spa?"

"Amanda," Zane corrected, "is just a friend. She was more than willing to help a friend with the woman he loves."

"You two looked pretty cozy at lunch a few days ago."

Zane shrugged again. "We're friends. I helped her set up some spa equipment a few months back and we found out that we have a lot in common. Turns out that she has a deep passion for Springsteen."

Jo nodded. Thinking back, Zane and Amanda hadn't been sitting that closely together, and the friendly touches were always just on the shoulder. "But how did you do it?"

"Breaking and entering has been a long-time hobby of mine," Zane said, reclining in his seat. "I am a felon, after all."

Jo shook her head. "Not what I meant. How did you know that I didn't eat the chocolates? And how did you know about Raja? I've only ever told Cart- of course," Jo paused, shaking her head. Everything was clicking. "How long were Carter and Zoe in on it?"

"Since the beginning," Zane confessed. "It was kind of Carter's idea to start with."

"How so?" Jo asked curiously.

"After we kissed last summer, you wouldn't talk about what happened," Zane began. "Not that you really needed to, since I had most of it figured out by then anyway. I asked Carter for advice, and he suggested that I do something to help you trust me."

"So you broke into my house, office, car, and the postal system?" Jo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like I said – felon. Anyway, Zoe agreed to help because she noticed how down her big sister was. She let me know that you didn't eat the chocolates, and helped me smuggle a kitten into town. Carter told me about Raja. Then yesterday, Amanda realized that you recognized her, so she called me and I texted you."

Jo began to laugh and let her head drop onto the headrest.

"What's so funny?"

Jo took a series of deep breaths and tried to calm herself down. "That's an amazingly convoluted master plan. I can't believe that it worked."

"Then why are you crying?" Zane asked, reaching over and wiping a tear off of Jo's cheek.

"Am I?" Jo raised a hand to her face and realized that Zane was right. She let out a small sob and shook her head. "This has been a hell of a week. I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now."

"What do you feel when I do this?" Zane asked, placing one hand on her cheek and the other on her back. He leaned across the open space and kissed her gently.

Jo closed her eyes. She hadn't felt this in far too long – Zane's soft lips on hers, his warm breath, how content she felt when she was in her arms.

She broke away from him and smiled softly. "I feel sparks."

Zane brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Me too," he replied quietly. "I know that I'm not him, but I honestly do love you."

Jo wrapped her arms around him and smiled into his neck. After months of pain and the confusion of the last week, this felt right. Almost like it was meant to be all along. "I love you too."

"Good," Zane said, pulling away from her. He reached into his pocket and fished out two small pieces of paper. "Because I have two tickets for Swan Lake tomorrow. Carter said that it's your favorite ballet."

"It is," Jo confirmed, smiling.

"So, JoJo, will you see it with me tomorrow?" Zane asked, holding her hands.

"I'd like that," Jo replied, her smile growing even wider. "It's getting a little cold in here. Do you want to go to the party?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Zane grinned, jumping out of the car and meeting Jo on her side. "By the way, have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

"No, you haven't," Jo smiled, winding her fingers between his. "Thank you."

She paused at the entrance to Café Diem, pulling Zane back.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, JoJo."

Jo nodded and leaned against him. "I know," she said truthfully. It was the first time she had really meant it in months. She tightened her hold on his hand and pulled him inside. "I know. Now let's go in."

Jo took a deep breath and stepped inside Café Diem and smiled. She could see Carter and Zoe in the back, smiling at her encouragingly. Jo tugged Zane toward them. She had to thank them for making Valentine's Day her favorite holiday.

* * *

**Thanks for all of your amazing reviews over the last week. Happy Valentine's Day!**


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